with ecclesiastical history, to be guarded against the fallacious arguments of some, and the overbearing presumption of others.

Let those, however, who would argue the points dispassionately, reflect on what they read. They will then discover the futile arguments of false and partial reasoners, whose faculty for cavilling is, perhaps, better than their capacity for judging aright.

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In the first place, it should be remembered, that the precise time when the Christian doctrine was first preached in England, has not with any degree of certainty been determined. But that it was introduced long before Austin's time, is sufficiently proved by numerous high authorities.

The learned Bishop Stillingfleet, Dr. Cave in his life of St. Paul, and Mr. Nelson upon his fes tival, who doubt not the preaching of this Christian disciple in Britain, about the year of our Lord 60, all agree in this particular; and of course draw their conclusions from good authority. But without insisting on this, the introduction of Christianity into the British dominions, may be traced to a still earlier date. Prior to the conversion of St. Paul, which took place in the year 35, Joseph of Arimathea, according to the history of those times, with his son John, a Bishop, and ten others, arrived in Britain from France; where he, together with two male and three female disciples, had been driven by the wind and waves about a year before; having all been put in an

open boat by the Jews, and banished Judea, when that great persecution arose recorded in Acts viii. 1. "And at that time there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles. 3. As for Saul, (afterwards named Paul) he made havock of the Church, entering into every house, and haling men and women, committed them to prison. 4. Therefore, they that were scattered abroad, went EVERY WHERE preaching the word."

And thus was fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, chap. lxvi. 19. "And I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory."

It is stated also, that as soon as Joseph of Arimathea landed with his party, he made application to the King for permission to settle near Glastonbury, in Somersetshire. His request was granted, and twelve hides of land were assigned for the support of himself and followers. From which circumstance, the place to this day is called the twelve hides of Glaston. Such was the success of their ministry, that multitudes of the idolatrous inhabitants and superstitious druids, became obedient to the faith. So that even when Paul, Simon, Aristobulus, and others visited this Island, Britain, it is affirmed, literally swarmed with Christians; and the British King, Lucius,

who was the first king that embraced Christianity, as early as the year 170, appointed three Archbishoprics, viz. London, York, and Chester. That of London, after nearly 500 years continuance, was transferred by Ethelbert to Canterbury, of which see AUSTIN was the first Archbishop, when the inroads of the Saxons had thrown over the face of the country the darkness of German superstition, and checked the progress of Christianity, which from being barely tolerated had been openly encouraged, till Vortigern, about the year 445, called the Saxons to his aid, particularly Hengist and Horsa, two brothers, by whose united endeavours Christianity was nearly extirpated. Many were made slaves. Those who escaped fled into Cornwall and Wales; and while the rest of the natives were fast relapsing into their ancient paganism, the Christians exercised their religion in its native purity, and continued deeply rooted in the Apostle's doctrines, till Austin was sent over with forty other missionaries, by Gregory the first, Bishop of Rome, not, as is frequently asserted, to convert the whole nation, but to restore Christianity among those who had been corrupted by the influence of Saxon superstition; the persecuted Church being at that time most cruelly oppressed and overpowered, though BERTHA, the Queen of Ethelbert, was at the very time a Christian.

These are statements of old historians, and of which any one of perseverance and research, may

convince himself. The indolent alone will suffer their understandings to be imposed on by arguments of partial, or misled individuals.

Austin, it is true, was sent over by the Pope to convert that part of the community which had relapsed into a state of paganism; but though he brought his converts to profess the faith, he was the first to teach them to outrage the laws of Christianity; for in trying to bring the ancient British Church to a conformity with that of Rome, and finding a resistance on the part of the Bishops and Clergy, he persuaded his Christian converts to massacre them; which history informs us they did to the number of eleven or twelve hundred.

Now, had Austin been the first propagator of the Gospel in our Island, it is very clear he could not have met with either Bishops or Clergy to contend with. Neither could he have found a national Christian Church to bring under subjection to the Papal See.

It was not till towards the conclusion of the sixth century, about the year A.D. 596, it should be recollected, that Austin arrived in England; and two hundred and eighty two years before that period, in the year 314, three Bishops were sent from Britain to assist at the council at Arles!

Many will consider it of little consequence to know by whom Christianity was first introduced into this country-in what age Protestantism arose -the origin of a title or the foundation on which

an order was instituted; others will affix to it an importance that may promote researches, to ascertain facts so essential for the pages of history: and a spirit of nationality, it is to be hoped, will, in this age of inquiry, animate the soul of some able scholar, to confute the palpable errors that have been handed down from one historian to another, with a careless indifference that is most astonishing in men of study and erudition.

With respect to the demand, "Shew us a Protestant before Luther?" and the question, "Were you not all Roman Catholics. till Henry VIII. quarrelled with the Pope ?" It will be found upon reflection, that we may answer the latter with an absolute negative. The first Christians who visited our shores, seminated the pure doctrines of the primitive Church; at which time, even, the Romans themselves had not fallen into those errors, which the turbulent spirit and tyranny of some of their Bishops afterwards imposed upon them, as tenets not to be dispensed with.

One Church was not, in the first ages of Christianity, obliged to observe the rites of another. They might differ in trivial points without offending, so as they did not violate the great articles of faith established by the Apostles. And whosoever would impose particular observances on particular Churches, were considered as violators and breakers of the unanimity of the one great universal or holy Catholic Church.

And therefore have Bishops of Rome been